Reinforcement Learning for Trading Strategies (Coursera)

Reinforcement Learning for Trading Strategies (Coursera)

In the final course from the Machine Learning for Trading specialization, you will be introduced to reinforcement learning (RL) and the benefits of using reinforcement learning in trading strategies. You will learn how RL has been integrated with neural networks and review LSTMs and how they can be applied to time series data. By the end of the course, you will be able to build trading strategies using reinforcement learning, differentiate between actor-based policies and value-based policies, and incorporate RL into a momentum trading strategy.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

To be successful in this course, you should have advanced competency in Python programming and familiarity with pertinent libraries for machine learning, such as Scikit-Learn, StatsModels, and Pandas. Experience with SQL is recommended. You should have a background in statistics (expected values and standard deviation, Gaussian distributions, higher moments, probability, linear regressions) and foundational knowledge of financial markets (equities, bonds, derivatives, market structure, hedging).
What You Will Learn

  • Understand the structure and techniques used in reinforcement learning (RL) strategies.
  • Understand the benefits of using RL vs. other learning methods.
  • Describe the steps required to develop and test an RL trading strategy.
  • Describe the methods used to optimize an RL trading strategy.

Course 3 of 3 in the Machine Learning for Trading Specialization.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Introduction to Course and Reinforcement Learning
In this module, reinforcement learning is introduced at a high level. The history and evolution of reinforcement learning is presented, including key concepts like value and policy iteration. Also, the benefits and examples of using reinforcement learning in trading strategies is described. We also introduce LSTM and AutoML as additional tools in your toolkit to use in implementing trading strategies.

WEEK 2
Neural Network Based Reinforcement Learning
In the previous module, reinforcement learning was discussed before neural networks were introduced. In this module, we look at how reinforcement learning has been integrated with neural networks. We also look at LSTMs and how they can be applied to time series data.

WEEK 3
Portfolio Optimization
In this module we discuss the practical steps required to create a reinforcement learning trading system. Also, we introduce AutoML, a powerful service on Google Cloud Platform for training machine learning models with minimal coding.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Introduction to Machine Learning (Coursera) Coursera
Duke University

Introduction to Machine Learning (Coursera)

This course will provide you a foundational understanding of machine learning models (logistic regression, multilayer perceptrons, convolutional neural networks, natural language processing, etc.) as well as demonstrate how these models can solve complex problems in a variety of industries, from medical diagnostics to image recognition to text prediction.

Nov 16th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Machine Learning and Human Learning (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Machine Learning and Human Learning (Coursera)

This course examines the differences between machine and human learning and the ways in which machines can complement human learning. It examines technical definitions of supervised and unsupervised machine learning, as well as broader views of mechanical intelligence able to replicate or exceed human intelligence.

Nov 23rd 2026
4 Weeks
Probabilistic Graphical Models 3: Learning (Coursera) Coursera
Stanford University

Probabilistic Graphical Models 3: Learning (Coursera)

Probabilistic graphical models (PGMs) are a rich framework for encoding probability distributions over complex domains: joint (multivariate) distributions over large numbers of random variables that interact with each other. These representations sit at the intersection of statistics and computer science, relying on concepts from probability theory, graph algorithms, machine learning, and more. They are the basis for the state-of-the-art methods in a wide variety of applications, such as medical diagnosis, image understanding, speech recognition, natural language processing, and many, many more. They are also a foundational tool in formulating many machine learning problems.

Nov 23rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Ethical Issues in Data Science (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado Boulder

Ethical Issues in Data Science (Coursera)

Computing applications involving large amounts of data – the domain of data science – impact the lives of most people in the U.S. and the world. These impacts include recommendations made to us by internet-based systems, information that is available about us online, techniques that are used for security and surveillance, data that is used in health care, and many more. In many cases, they are affected by techniques in artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Nov 23rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
The Unix Workbench (Coursera) Coursera
Johns Hopkins University

The Unix Workbench (Coursera)

Unix forms a foundation that is often very helpful for accomplishing other goals you might have for you and your computer, whether that goal is running a business, writing a book, curing disease, or creating the next great app. The means to these goals are sometimes carried out by writing software. Software can’t be mined out of the ground, nor can software seeds be planted in spring to harvest by autumn. Software isn’t produced in factories on an assembly line. Software is a hand-made, often bespoke good. If a software developer is an artisan, then Unix is their workbench.

Nov 23rd 2026
4 Weeks
Optimización de Redes Neuronales Profundas (Coursera) Coursera
Universidad Austral

Optimización de Redes Neuronales Profundas (Coursera)

Este curso se centrará en la optimización de Redes Neuronales Profundas, cambiando la idea de que todo el proceso es una “caja negra”. Comprenderá qué impulsa el rendimiento y podrá obtener mejores resultados de manera más sistemática. Entenderá cómo optimizar los principales Hiperparámetros y su implementación. Además, aprenderá nuevos conceptos útiles para el entrenamiento de las redes como los mini-batch y las regularizaciones. También, aprenderá a implementar una red neuronal utilizando TensorFlow

Nov 23rd 2026
3 Weeks
Computer Vision with Embedded Machine Learning (Coursera) Coursera
Edge Impulse

Computer Vision with Embedded Machine Learning (Coursera)

Computer vision (CV) is a fascinating field of study that attempts to automate the process of assigning meaning to digital images or videos. In other words, we are helping computers see and understand the world around us! A number of machine learning (ML) algorithms and techniques can be used to accomplish CV tasks, and as ML becomes faster and more efficient, we can deploy these techniques to embedded systems.

Nov 23rd 2026
3 Weeks
Machine Learning for Accounting with Python (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Machine Learning for Accounting with Python (Coursera)

This course, Machine Learning for Accounting with Python, introduces machine learning algorithms (models) and their applications in accounting problems. It covers classification, regression, clustering, text analysis, time series analysis. It also discusses model evaluation and model optimization. This course provides an entry point for students to be able to apply proper machine learning models on business related datasets with Python to solve various problems.

Nov 16th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Code Free Data Science (Coursera) Coursera
University of California, San Diego

Code Free Data Science (Coursera)

The Code Free Data Science class is designed for learners seeking to gain or expand their knowledge in the area of Data Science. Participants will receive the basic training in effective predictive analytic approaches accompanying the growing discipline of Data Science without any programming requirements. Machine Learning methods will be presented by utilizing the KNIME Analytics Platform to discover patterns and relationships in data.

Nov 23rd 2026
4 Weeks
Machine Learning Basics (Coursera) Coursera
Sungkyunkwan University - SKKU

Machine Learning Basics (Coursera)

In this course, you will: understand the basic concepts of machine learning; understand a typical memory-based method, the K nearest neighbor method; understand linear regression; understand model analysis. Please make sure that you’re comfortable programming in Python and have a basic knowledge of mathematics including matrix multiplications, and conditional probability.

Nov 23rd 2026
4 Weeks
Machine Learning in Retail (Coursera) Coursera
Coursera Project Network

Machine Learning in Retail (Coursera)

Who are your customers? What are they like? How do they interact with your business? This Short Course was created to help analysts better understand their customer behaviour through the power of machine learning. In this course, you will apply two different machine learning techniques to segment customers according to their purchasing behaviour and provide actionable insights for each group. Along the way, you'll also examine some other retail case studies, including web visitor analysis for marketing and store clustering for logistics.

Nov 23rd 2026
1 Week
Introduction to Vertex AI (Coursera) Coursera
Fractal Analytics

Introduction to Vertex AI (Coursera)

Welcome to "Introduction to Vertex AI"! In this concise yet impactful microlearning course spanning around 4 hours, we're diving into the world of Vertex AI to equip you with fundamental insights and practical skills. We'll unravel the essentials of Vertex AI, guiding you through the interface to empower you to navigate this powerful platform seamlessly. Get ready to grasp strategic insights that will enable you to effectively harness the capabilities of Vertex AI in your projects.

Nov 23rd 2026
2 Weeks